The Kindness Change is grateful to interview Anne-Sofie and Anna-Clara from the Scandinavian business psychology firm, Kloegt, to discuss what it means to lead with kindness and much more.

Anne Sofie: Her career includes global leadership experience at the LEGO Group and consulting roles with Deloitte and AS3. She’s especially curious about the link between work, well-being, and performance—and how modern leadership, thoughtful communication, and healthy team dynamics can unlock better results. Today, she’s a partner at Kløgt, a Scandinavian business psychology firm, where she supports organizations in rethinking how they lead, collaborate, and grow.

Outside the office, Anne Sofie is a dedicated vinyl collector (with a soft spot for George Michael and Prince) and a soon-to-be mom.

Anna-Clara: I’m a licensed business psychologist and co-owner of Kløgt.. I have over 13 years of experience in leadership and strategic prevention, including roles as Chief Psychologist at Prescriba with responsibility for strategy and business development, organisational psychologist and strategic advisor at PFA, and Head of AS3 Work&Care. What drives me is helping leaders and organisations succeed – both as businesses and as people.

Can you share a  “kindness moment or memory”  that left a positive impression on you?

Anne – Sofie: One moment of kindness that really left a lasting impression on me happened when I decided to leave my first job after graduating. I had been with the company for seven years and was 31 at the time. I truly enjoyed my role, my colleagues, and the work I was doing, but I also felt a growing curiosity about how I could further explore and evolve my professional capabilities. After much thought, I decided to pursue a new opportunity.

Handing in my notice wasn’t easy—it was a big decision, and I felt both excited and uncertain. On my last day, I had the chance to speak with the CEO. While I reported to the CHRO and had only met the CEO a few times during my tenure, I had always experienced him as a kind and highly respected leader.

He looked at me and said, “Congratulations on your next adventure. It’s time for you to explore something new. I would give the same advice to my own children. You’re always welcome back, but for now, this is the right step—especially at your age.”

His words were both surprising and deeply reassuring. That moment taught me a lot about the power of kindness and empathy, especially from senior leaders. It reminded me how meaningful it is to show genuine support when people are at pivotal points in their careers. It’s something I’ve carried with me ever since.

Anna- Clara: The very first thing that comes to mind when I think of kindness is a memory of my mum. I lost her last year after many years of her living with Alzheimer’s disease, but one of the strongest memories I have is of her when she was well. She was truly the kindest person I’ve ever met – she welcomed everyone with an open heart.

“As a teenager, I remember often wondering why she would greet absolutely everyone in our village, even waving at every car that passed by. One day I asked her about it, and she said: ‘I wave because I often can’t see who it is, and I don’t want anyone to feel hurt if I actually know them.’ That small gesture says everything about who she was – always thinking of others and wanting people to feel seen and valued”

Can kindness and empathy be viewed as strengths in the workplace? What are the differences between these attributes?

Anne – Sofie:  In my view, empathy and kindness are closely related, but it’s important to distinguish between them to practice both of them better. 

Kindness is a deliberate decision—it’s about how you choose to treat the people you work with. It’s a conscious choice in how you act, how you speak, and how you make others feel. At the heart of kindness lies empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand the emotional makeup of other people. It’s the skill of recognizing and responding to others’ emotional reactions—not by taking on their feelings yourself, but by being able to put yourself in their shoes. This ability to shift perspectives—from your own to someone else’s—enables you to act with kindness in a meaningful way.

In modern leadership, this is a powerful strength. When people experience change, when they react emotionally, or when mistakes occur, leaders who apply empathy and respond with kindness are often better equipped to maintain trust and motivation within their teams. It’s not about being passive or accepting everything. You can—and should—give tough feedback and deliver difficult messages. But doing so with kindness and empathy ensures those messages are received with respect and care.

It takes ongoing effort to strengthen your empathy and communication skills. But the payoff is significant in building a motivated, resilient team and in fostering true followership.

I love Maya Angelou’s quote: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” It captures the essence of what empathy and kindness mean in leadership.

Anna- Clara: Absolutely !! Kindness and empathy are powerful strengths in the workplace. Kindness to me is about intentional acts of care and respect. It’s a behaviour that fosters psychological safety, trust, and a supportive culture. Empathy, on the other hand, is the ability to truly understand and sense another person’s feelings and perspective, the ability to mentalise, to hold another person’s mind in mind.

Together, they create stronger relationships, more engaged teams, and better leadership because people feel seen, valued, and motivated. 

How do you manage tensions or boundaries with kindness?

Anne – Sofie: This is an important one. Not an easy one, though. Here are my immediate thoughts: 

You start by working on your communication skills—and that begins with self-awareness. Before you support others, look inward: What’s your role in the situation? How are you feeling? And what do you need to balance to move the process forward?

From there, refocus on the goal and the broader impact for the organization. Ask yourself: Why does this tension need to be addressed or this boundary set? That purpose becomes the anchor for your communication.

Next, use transparency to clearly state your intention. Combine this with empathy—try to anticipate how the other person might feel and show that you’ve considered their perspective. 

Then check in: Does your view of the situation align with theirs? If not, be curious, not defensive. Invite dialogue, and aim for a shared understanding.

“Managing tensions with kindness doesn’t mean avoiding discomfort. It means staying grounded, being clear, and keeping human connection at the center—even when the conversation is hard”

Anna- Clara: That’s really what good leadership is about: balancing well-being with performance, balancing demands with support, and balancing disagreements with respect and kindness. I believe this takes training in having difficult conversations and a wealth of experience to navigate that balance well.

Connection and Community: How can one develop good connections and friendships at work, and is doing this a good idea?

Anne – Sofie: Absolutely—it’s not only a good idea to build strong connections and friendships at work, it’s essential for well-being and long-term success. There are, of course, watch-outs, but I’ll focus on the good reasons for building good connections at work.
Social support is one of the most protective factors for mental health in the workplace and shouldn’t be underrated, making meaningful connections a vital part of thriving at work. In addition, it also supports general life quality. The Harvard Study of Adult Development, led by Robert Waldinger, highlights that strong relationships—including those at work—are a key contributor to overall happiness in life.

Beyond wellbeing and happiness, having good relationships at work also creates an internal network that can support you professionally. These connections become the people who will help you navigate challenges, share knowledge, and open doors. While some may argue for keeping work and personal life strictly separate, the evidence suggests that meaningful workplace relationships add real value—not just to your experience, but to your performance and wellbeing.

The above is especially true for people in leadership roles, they tend to feel more isolated and lack a trusted group of peers – leaders need strong connections too. 

So how do you build those connections?
Start by showing genuine interest in your colleagues. Make time for lunch, ask about their lives, and see them as people you can learn from. Share who you are as well—be open, show vulnerability, and build trust. Consider the energy you bring into the room and recognize that your presence impacts others. Come in with the intention to contribute, connect, and collaborate.

That said, a healthy boundary is also important. Don’t place all of your social needs at work. Your workplace is not your family, and it wasn’t designed to be. Things can change—roles shift, jobs end. But that doesn’t mean you can’t form strong, supportive relationships that enrich both your work and your life.

Anna- Clara: Strong connections at work are one of the biggest preventive factors in the workplace. In fact, social capital is one of the strongest predictors of engagement, resilience, and overall organisational health. When people feel connected and supported, they’re more motivated, more creative, and better equipped to handle challenges together.

So yes – building friendships and meaningful connections at work is not just a nice-to-have, it’s a strategic investment.

If you could advise your younger self about kindness in the workplace, what would it be?

Anne – Sofie: Look for role models who lead with empathy and integrity—and let go of the outdated idea that leadership has to be about toughness.
Organizations are made up of people, and real leadership is about motivating and guiding them, not controlling them through fear. Fear might get short-term results, but it comes at a cost. You have an ethical choice to make as a leader: Who do you want to be? What do you want to be known for?

And to the people in doubt, yes, it is absolutely possible to be kind and still drive high performance. Kindness is not weakness—it’s a strength when practiced with intention and clarity. In fact, leading with empathy and respect often builds stronger, more resilient teams.

At the same time, it’s important to stay aware of how power can subtly affect your core qualities—like your ability to shift perspectives or build genuine relationships. The power paradox is real: the very traits that help you earn leadership roles can fade if you’re not intentional about maintaining them. You will sometimes make the wrong call or see sides of yourself you don’t love.

That’s why it’s so important to have strong role models, trusted mentors, people who will challenge you and have a personal commitment to keep evolving—both as a leader and as a person.

Anna- Clara: If I could talk to my younger self, I’d tell her that kindness is not a flaw…it’s a strength. When I was a very young female leader, I often felt judged for being ‘too nice’ or ‘too soft,’ and I sometimes tried to hide those parts of myself to be taken seriously. What I didn’t realise then was that those qualities – empathy, warmth, and kindness – are exactly what help people trust you and thrive under your leadership.

“I’d also tell her that kindness doesn’t mean letting others cross your boundaries or treating you poorly. Back then, I wish I’d had more training in balancing tension with kindness, in standing firm while staying compassionate”

Finally, what are some of the ingredients and structure of a good plan to achieve the desired outcomes, e.g, in achieving a sustainable workplace?

Anne – Sofie: If we assume ideal conditions—where anything is possible and organisations have the time and resources to focus on meaningful structural change—our recommendation is to work across all levels of the organisation. This begins with strong buy-in from top leadership, ideally with a dedicated executive sponsor to champion the effort.

From there, we suggest designing the change process using insight-driven and co-creative approaches. These should be developed with both leadership representatives and employees, ensuring shared ownership and alignment from the outset.

It’s also critical to collaborate closely with the communications and HR teams to shape a compelling narrative and consistent messaging. These messages should be integrated across other relevant initiatives, structures, policies, and processes to create coherence and momentum. We love to be part of these longer approaches. 

That said, this represents the ideal pathway for organisational change. In reality, many organisations face pressing challenges that must be addressed first—what we sometimes refer to as “putting the plug back in the tub.” This is more often when we are brought in. These challenges may include high levels of sick leave in certain departments, unresolved conflicts, unpopular past change efforts, rapid growth in parts of the organisation or a general lack of trust in leadership.

In such cases, we begin by working locally—partnering with the relevant leadership teams and employee groups. We facilitate targeted interventions to stabilise the environment, both at the leadership, team and individual levels. Once a healthier and more functional baseline is restored, we can shift focus toward broader, more sustainable structural changes.

Anna- Clara: A sustainable workplace starts with a clear purpose, visible leadership commitment, and a culture of trust. Big change comes from small daily actions. A sustainable workplace isn’t a plan on paper – it’s a living culture where people and performance thrive together!

A big part of what my mother taught me with her KIND heart & mind was the importance of seeing people as whole human beings. A sustainable workplace to me therefore also means creating a culture where we recognise that everyone carries their own story – and that those stories hold so much we can learn from, if we take the time to really know each other. It’s about making space for differences, embracing diversity, and allowing people to bring their full selves to work. That’s where trust, connection, and true collaboration start.